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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25037281">Never Asked for This</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu'>Shi_Toyu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Regression/De-Aging, Aunt Peggy Carter, Avengers Family, Avengers Tower, Awesome Peggy Carter, BAMF Peggy Carter, Character Study, Clothing as Armor, Communication, Developing Relationship, Domestic Avengers, Dressing to Impress, Emotions, F/M, Fashion &amp; Couture, Godparent Peggy Carter, Hurt Steve Rogers, Makeup, Modern Era, POV Peggy Carter, Parent Peggy Carter, Peggy Carter Lives, Peggy Carter is Tony Stark's Godparent, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Second Chances, Sort Of, Steve Rogers Drinks His Respect Women Juice, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, coming to terms, self-examination</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:07:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,993</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25037281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a kidnapping gone sideways, Peggy is left trying to adjust to her new reality.</p><p>
  <em>Peggy Carter was nothing if not strong. She picked herself up and kept right on going. She had a career, fell in love again and got married, had kids, did her best to help raise her godson – since Howard certainly wasn’t doing anything in that department. She lived a full, wonderful life. When age began to take its toll, she accepted it. She hated the pain it put her family through, but she had always been a realist. She was happy with the life that she’d been fortunate enough to live. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She should have known things wouldn’t be so easy.</em>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peggy Carter &amp; Tony Stark, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>128</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Never Asked for This</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroineGauddess/gifts">HeroineGauddess</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the wonderful HeroineGauddess who prompted this piece! I hope there are enough Tony - Peggy interactions in here for you!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peggy was a woman who saw the world around her for what it was and never expected anything to be handed to her. She was a realist. She knew the obstacles she faced and the injustices that ran rampant through society. Even when she was young, she was smart enough to know the mountain she had set herself up to climb.</p><p>But she didn’t let that stop her.</p><p>She’d clawed her way through the ranks of British intelligence until she was able to secure a liaison to the USSR in the United States. If possible, the American military was even worse than the British one. Maybe it was because England had been in the war longer, or maybe it was just their innate Americanness, but the men of the SSR were almost impossibly bullheaded and self-righteous. If the stakes hadn’t been so high, she might have even considered quitting.</p><p>Then she met Steven Grant Rogers, the legendary Captain America.</p><p>Even before the serum entered his veins, Steve grabbed her attention. He was every inch as bullheaded and self-righteous as his fellows, but there was an openness to him as well. He knew what it was to be the underdog, had needed to fight for every scrap of respect he’d gotten in his life. When he’d taken that plane full of bombs down into the ocean, he’d taken a piece of her heart with him.</p><p>But Peggy Carter was nothing if not strong. She picked herself up and kept right on going. She had a career, fell in love again and got married, had kids, did her best to help raise her godson – since Howard certainly wasn’t doing anything in that department. She lived a full, wonderful life. When age began to take its toll, she accepted it. She hated the pain it put her family through, but she had always been a realist. She was happy with the life that she’d been fortunate enough to live.</p><p>She should have known things wouldn’t be so easy.</p><p>In the end, it was AIM who caused it – though it was not at all their intended purpose. All Peggy knew was that she’d been kidnapped from her nursing home so that AIM could try and get SHIELD’s secrets out of her and that had somehow ended up with them attempting to restore her memory. Instead, it had resulted in them using a device that de-aged all of her – not just her mind. By the time the Avengers had arrived to rescue her, a 30-year-old Peggy had already kicked her captors’ arses and was well on her way to rescuing herself.</p><p>It was an emotional reunion, to say the least. Peggy definitely handled the revelation better than Steve or Tony. They both cried, though Tony tried to hide it. In all honesty, Peggy was conflicted about it. She’d lived her life. She wasn’t sure how she felt about doing it again. She let herself be distracted by focusing on the scientific aspects of the situation.</p><p>The reality was, they weren’t even sure she would stay this way. The Avengers had recovered the machine AIM had used so that Bruce and Tony could run tests, but they wouldn’t have any answers for hours yet, possibly even days. She could re-age before they found out anything, or she could de-age further. There was just no way of knowing. It was easy to immerse herself in trying to answer Bruce and Tony’s questions rather than worrying about the what if.</p><p>After the flight back to the Avengers tower, it was long hours in the lab as they tried to figure it out. They took blood samples and hair samples and JARVIS ran about a million scans of her brain and body, looking for any anomalies. In the end, Tony and Bruce had let her go while they continued their work. Steve was waiting for her as soon as the elevator doors opened, and Peggy’s heart picked up in her chest.</p><p>“Pegs,” he breathed out, saying her name like a prayer.</p><p>There was a soul-deep ache in his eyes, one she was well-used to seeing as he sat by her bedside. She’d done her best to comfort him during those times, when she’d been aware enough to be able to. Now, that ache seemed to come with a lot more pressure.</p><p>“Steve-“</p><p>He crossed the space between then in a single step, wrapping her up tight in his arms. He was so huge. Peggy had forgotten how big he was, how those muscles felt encircling her. She’d barely had a chance to experience it before he’d put that plane down in the ocean, and she’d been too frail for him to hug like this since he was found. She couldn’t help leaning into him, resting her forehead on his shoulder.</p><p>“I was so scared when I found out they’d taken you,” he confided softly. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”</p><p>“Just yesterday, you were going to lose me in a matter of months,” she reminded him gently. “And we still don’t know if this will last.”</p><p>“I know, I know. I just-“ the words seemed to stick in his throat and she drew back just enough to watch as Steve swallowed roughly. His eyes were once again glassy with tears. “I was so scared. I didn’t think you were in any danger anymore.”</p><p>She gave him a soft smile and moved her hand to cup his chin, letting him lean his head into her palm.</p><p>“I’m a SHIELD agent, Steve. I’ve always been in danger and I always will be. That’s just part of the job.”</p><p>“But you’re retired.”</p><p>“No one ever really retires from SHIELD,” she told him, amused despite herself. Still, she stepped away, moving to exit the elevator as an excuse for needing to put some distance between them. “That’s not how it works.”</p><p>Steve followed after her.</p><p>“Well, we won’t let it happen again.”</p><p>He sounded so earnest – but then, Steve always did. He never said or did anything without putting his whole heart in. Including loving her. That’d been something she always liked about Steve, even before her fondness for him had grown into something more. Now, it only added to what seemed to be an ever-looming cloud.</p><p>“I’m exhausted, Steve. Is there somewhere I could lie down for a bit?”</p><p>.</p><p>It wasn’t that Peggy didn’t still love Steve – she did – but she’d lived an entire life without him. She had come to terms with his loss and moved on. Even once he’d been recovered, it wasn’t like a romance between them had been possible. She hadn’t considered getting into a relationship again after her husband passed away, hadn’t wanted to. When Steve showed up again, loving him had been safe.</p><p>Being confronted by the possibility that they really could have a romance after all these years seemed impossibly daunting. Of course, Peggy would always love Steve, but did she still want a relationship with him? The world had changed so much since those whirlwind days of working side-by-side on the war effort. And they had changed, too. Hell, Peggy’s godson was Steve’s best friend in this new era. She’d changed the diapers of the man Steve turned to for advice when dealing with foreign governments.</p><p>There was no doubt in her mind that they could have had something amazing, had he not gone down in that plane, but that was a different life – one that they didn’t get. Even if Peggy didn’t revert back to the age she’d been just a few days ago, could a relationship really work between them now? There was so much baggage between them. It wasn’t like they could just pick up where they’d left off. Steve might see this as a second chance, but Peggy couldn’t help but think of it as the possibility for disaster.</p><p>Peggy had never been one to let fear hold her back, but this was <em>Steve</em>. They hadn’t known each other well enough back then to really understand each other’s flaws. They’d barely made it past the pining stage of their relationship, much less the honeymoon phase. Peggy knew Steve could be stubborn and pigheaded, not to mention stupidly jealous at times, but she hadn’t really had to deal with any of that in a relationship, where it carried so much more weight. It was easy to look back on something that could have been with rose-tinted glasses. When faced with the reality of the day-to-day, it was entirely possible that their relationship wouldn’t even work.</p><p>Peggy’s heart clenched at the thought. And it wasn’t just fear of losing Steve that did it. She was <em>old</em>. Maybe not in a physical sense anymore, but Peggy had been an elderly woman with only months left to live less than twenty-four hours ago. There was quite a difference between that mindset and the mindset of a thirty-year-old. Hell, Peggy still felt weird that her joints weren’t aching and she had so much energy. It wasn’t a switch that she could flip.</p><p>Which wasn’t to say that she was bent on looking a gift horse in the mouth. If this really was something that would last, she would definitely appreciate the lack of constant pain. It was just… she didn’t want to get her hopes up. And, on top of that, she wasn’t sure she <em>wanted</em> to live out a whole other life. She’d gotten hers. It felt almost selfish that she should try for any more.  So, instead of facing the man who was widely regarded as the love of her life and having a conversation, she was hiding out in her godson’s guestroom. Like a coward.</p><p>She <em>would</em> talk to him, though. She just… needed some time to herself first.</p><p>.</p><p>Even with the energy of a much younger body, being kidnapped and experimented on had taken its toll. Peggy had eventually drifted off to sleep, both her body and mind demanding the rest. She stirred to a much dimmer room, the light of a sunset over New York filtering through her window.</p><p>“Good evening, Director Carter,” JARVIS greeted her, probably alerted by some change in her vitals. “Sir asked me upon your awakening to inform you that dinner will be served on the communal floor at precisely seven o’clock, which is in one hour and twenty-two minutes. Should you not wish to join the rest of the team, a meal can be delivered directly to your room.”</p><p>Peggy snorted indelicately, her lips quirking with amusement.</p><p>“Are you telling me that Ducky is actually observing regular mealtimes in the midst of trying to figure out a scientific problem?”</p><p>“I believe he is attempting to make an effort on your behalf,” JARVIS informed her, his tone laced with his own amusement. “He is taking your continued health quite seriously.”</p><p>“Have he and Bruce discovered anything?”</p><p>“Not as of yet, though I can assure you that they are making all efforts to do so. Also, Miss Potts has arranged for a delivery of wardrobe and personal care essentials that arrived a short time ago and is currently located in the sitting room area of your suite.”</p><p>Peggy couldn’t help a fond smile.</p><p>“I’ve always liked that woman. So efficient.”</p><p>She exited the bedroom and easily located the rack of clothes Pepper had had delivered. A bag of toiletries sat on the armchair beside it, including a selection of basic makeup and hairstyling necessities and a tube of lipstick in Peggy’s signature shade. A note was nestled right on top in Pepper’s neat penmanship.</p><p>
  <em>Tony’s mentioned what you taught him about armor. I hope all this helps you feel a bit more prepared to take on everything.</em>
</p><p>Peggy really was so glad that Pepper had come into Tony’s life. Everyone should surround themselves with strong women who knew how to get shit done, and Pepper was one of the best. Peggy selected a few items off the rack to try on and scooped up the bag to carry back to her bedroom. Yes, she would feel much better with some armor on.</p><p>.</p><p>It’d been a while since Peggy had worn anything over than a dressing gown, and even longer since she’d put on makeup. It felt both strange and very right to be doing so now. The motions were all familiar – Pepper had even managed to find many of the same products that Peggy normally used – but it had still been over a year since the last time Peggy had actually done any of it. She had to reapply her eyeliner three times before getting it right and completely forgot to line her lips before applying her lipstick.</p><p>She stared at her face in the mirror for a long moment, taking it all in. The last time her skin had looked so smooth and young, she’d been getting up two hours earlier than the rest of the base to put Victory Curls in her hair. Now, that same hair hung down past her shoulders, still damp from her shower. She’d never let her hair grow this long when she had been the age she now looked. Her eyes, too, were different. They still carried all of the years she had lived.</p><p>It was just so <em>strange</em> – like waking up one day to find yourself in someone else’s body. She was herself and yet, at the same time, she wasn’t at all. It wasn’t like stepping out of an old photograph, because there were such clear differences. And it went beyond appearance. She didn’t <em>feel</em> like the same person.</p><p>In a way, she thought it must be both similar to and the exact opposite of how Steve had felt after Erskine’s formula had taken effect. He’d been the same person on the inside, but his outside had changed drastically. He’d had to get to know his body all over again. Peggy had been in this version of her body before, but she felt much the same way. Seventy years was a long time, and her memory hadn’t exactly been the best in the later years. She’d managed to fight her kidnappers on instinct and sheer force of not over-thinking her actions, but now it all seemed to be catching up with her. She was a stranger in her own skin.</p><p>Steeling herself, she picked up the hairdryer she’d found under the sink and got to work. With less than an hour and a half before dinner – now less than forty-five minutes – she was on a tight schedule. Not being in makeup or having her hair done, not dressing up… None of that had bothered her in the nursing home. She was old. The time for all of that was passed. She’d been able to set her armor aside because she hadn’t needed it anymore. There was no need for a mask between her and the rest of the world.</p><p>Now, it was both a security and a burden. It protected her in her uncertainty, but it also weighed on her. She’d forgotten, in more ways than just with her dementia, how much effort it took to keep her appearance so pristine.</p><p>Once her hair was dry, Peggy found herself at a loss of what to do with it. She didn’t have the supplies – much less the time – to attempt any of the styles she had worn back when she’d been this age, and she’d never actually styled hair that was quite this long before. In the end, she decided to just pull some of it back with a barrette that was with the supplies Pepper had sent and let the excess hand down her back. If she was stuck like this for very long, she’d figure out what else to do with it then. Or maybe just get a haircut.</p><p>After that, it was just a matter of changing clothes and she would be all set – but that, too, was complicated. Pepper hadn’t sent along any pantyhose, which felt both odd and a relief. She’d selected a classically cut skirt-suit and blouse from the wardrobe Pepper had provided, and it felt <em>wrong</em> for her calves and knees to go completely uncovered. Still, she knew that it was the fashion of more recent years. It just left Peggy feeling so… exposed.</p><p>As a compromise, she did manage to find a pair of sheer stockings that came up to her mid-thigh and clung using some sort of plastic material. They gave the illusion of pantyhose and, admittedly, were more comfortable, but Peggy found herself almost over-aware of where the tops of them clung to her skin. They would have to do for now. She selected a pair of pumps with a short heel from the wardrobe and slipped them on, pleased by the easy fit.</p><p>It’d been quite a while since she’d last been able to wear heels. Years of fighting and old injuries had left her ankles too weak to take the stress. For all the confusion and unpleasantness, she could admit that she still enjoyed getting to do this again. She’d always felt a sense of empowerment when she wore heels. It wasn’t just the added height, but a very feeling of her self that was augmented by them. She couldn’t help but smile a bit as she admired her outfit in the full-length mirror of the bedroom’s closet – smoothing her hands over the navy-blue fabric of her skirt.</p><p>Taking hold of that positive feeling with both hands, she headed for the door. The guest suites of the tower were located under the Avengers’ floors, so she stepped into the elevator and allowed JARVIS to whisk her up to the communal floor – which contained the kitchen and dining area, recreational areas, and gym space. With the exception of Bruce and Tony, it seemed that the rest of the team had already arrived.</p><p>Thor and Steve were in the kitchen, though Thor seemed to be in charge of the cooking process while Steve helped by chopping and preparing ingredients. Natasha and Clint were seated at the counter, trading banter back and forth – sometimes taking a break from each other to tease their teammates. Pepper was also in attendance, tapping away at a tablet at the table, but setting it aside immediately once Peggy entered the room so she could stand and move to greet her.</p><p>“It’s good to see you, Director Carter,” she said, giving Peggy a hug and an air kiss on each cheek. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”</p><p>“Good to see you as well, Miss Potts. Thank you so much for the supplies.”</p><p>Pepper smiled and stepped back to look her over.</p><p>“I’m happy you were able to find something you liked.”</p><p>And then it was time to greet the rest of the room. Steve was the only one of them that she actually knew, though she had heard plenty about the entire team from Tony and Steve’s visits and had met them however briefly on the flight back from the AIM facility. She knew Natasha and Clint by reputation, as well, and there was a certain kinship born among those in intelligence. Peggy gave them a nod of acknowledgment over Pepper’s shoulder.</p><p>“It is an honor to meet a warrior of your stature, Lady Carter,” Thor boomed in greeting, leaving the kitchen to wrap her in a hug that nearly lifted her off her feet. “I have heard many tales of your valor form my shield brothers and was mightily impressed by your dispatching of the AIM agents before we arrived to assist you!”</p><p>His enthusiasm startled a bright laugh out of her, and Peggy found herself grinning as Thor set her back on her feet.</p><p>“The honor is all mine, Prince Thor,” she told him. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you, as well, from Steve and my godson.”</p><p>“About that,” Clint cut in with a gleam in his eye and a grin of his own, “you wouldn’t happen to have any really good, embarrassing stories about the two of them, would you?”</p><p>“How about we give her a chance to settle in and relax before you start plying her for information?” Steve scolded fondly, and then he and Thor and swapped places and she was pulling her into a hug, too – this was warm and gentle, having lost the desperate edge from earlier.</p><p>His eyes, when he pulled back, were just as warm, and his smile just as gentle.</p><p>“Hey,” he greeted. “Did you rest well?”</p><p>Peggy’s heart felt like it was jackhammering in her chest and she swayed just the tiniest bit toward him, as if pulled in by his orbit.</p><p>“Well enough,” she assured. “I’m feeling much better now.”</p><p>And it was true. Maybe it was because of the edge of desperation and despair he’d been radiating earlier had eased, but Peggy felt much more comfortable in his presence now. She was still unsure of so much and feeling out of place, but the sharpness of it had been blunted. Sleep and good clothes could do that for a woman – and good company, she supposed.</p><p>She and Steve stared at each other for a long, silent moment before the tension was broken by the arrival of Bruce and Tony. Tony, of course, wasted no time in invading her space and giving her a tight squeeze. She sniffed haughtily and rubbed a smear of… something off his cheek.</p><p>“You are a mess, Ducky. Why am I not surprised?”</p><p>Behind her, Clint choked.</p><p>“<em>Ducky?</em>”</p><p>Tony wrinkled his nose and stuck his tongue out at his teammate.</p><p>“Aunt Peggy gave me that nickname when I was, what, five?”</p><p>“Three,” she corrected him fondly, to which he nodded in acknowledgment.</p><p>“Right. She’s the only one who’s ever called me that and the only one who ever will. Got it?”</p><p>Clint raised his hands in surrender, but the shit-eating grin he wore told Peggy it was going to come up again. Then again, she’d heard enough about Clint to be sure that would happen, anyway.</p><p>“Well,” she broke in, “I was promised dinner. What’s on the menu?”</p><p>“It is nearly completed!” Thor boomed from the kitchen. “We are having a rosemary and orange-crust pork loin roast over red potatoes and green beans almandine. This <em>is</em> a celebration, after all!”</p><p>Peggy’s eyebrows rose as she looked to Tony.</p><p>“Thor’s a great cook,” he assured her. “He got really into ‘Midgardian’ cooking a few months ago and has been at it ever since. You won’t be disappointed.”</p><p>She gave him one last squeeze before releasing him.</p><p>“I could never be, just getting the opportunity to be here with your friends,” she promised quietly.</p><p>It was so pleasing to find that she could still make her godson blush, even after all these years.</p><p>“Who wants drinks?” he called as he pulled away, covering for his embarrassed pleasure admirably. “Show of hands.”</p><p>He disappeared from the room after taking everyone’s orders, heading to the bar near the windows to start preparing the rounds. Peggy settled in at the table between Pepper and Steve – the latter apparently abandoning his kitchen duties in favor of spending time with her – and chatted about Pepper’s work with Stark Industries. Bruce settled nearby, followed by Natasha and then Clint. Tony returned and distributed drinks and it was about that time that Thor emerged from the kitchen with a veritable feast.</p><p>Peggy supposed she should have expected it, considering the table comprised of a super soldier and a god who both had quite a considerable appetite, but she was still surprised to find that they managed to eat nearly all of the food that Thor laid out. There was even apple crisp for dessert. Her stomach was full to the point of groaning before she finally gave up and left it to the others to finish the rest off.</p><p>“Incredible as always,” Pepper complimented Thor, who accepted the praise graciously as it was affirmed by everyone at the table.</p><p>“Well, then,” Tony said, sharing a glance with Bruce before sitting forward, “now that we’re all fed and happy, Brucie-bear and I have some news.”</p><p>The air around the table shifted in an instant – the group of friends snapping back to a team of heroes, alert and ready. Steve’s hand crept across the space between them to take hold of Peggy’s, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze.</p><p>“The results of our tests so far have actually been quite fascinating,” Bruce picked up the conversation. “The machine itself is still having us some trouble and will take us longer to pars back together, but all bloodwork and scans have come back with fairly conclusive results.”</p><p>“Yep, still working on the how,” Tony said with a grin, “but AIM’s process took the cells you currently have and tricked them into producing much younger cells, basically. Obviously, they super-sped the initial round, but all signs point to it having steadied out now.” He raised a glass in Peggy’s direction. “Aunt Peggy, you are officially thirty again. And, as far as we can tell, you’ll continue to age at the same rate you always have.”</p><p>There were cheers all around the table. Peggy gaped, reeling for a moment with the implications. All of her fears and reservations came rushing in, threatening to overwhelm her, but she did her best to push them aside. This was the reality of the situation, at least for now. All she could do was adapt and move forward. Just like she always had.</p><p>Deftly, she extricated her hand from Steve’s and covered her mouth with it.</p><p>“Oh, wow,” she breathed, playing up her shock a bit – though it <em>was</em> a shock – to cover her less-than-enthusiastic immediate response. “I don’t- Are you sure?”</p><p>Bruce shrugged apologetically.</p><p>“As sure as we can be, at least,” he confided. “Obviously, this isn’t something we’ve encountered before so there’s no way to be 100% certain. But we have been able to rule out any magical involvement in the process, and from a strictly scientific perspective, it seems highly unlikely that you’d snap back to the age you were before.”</p><p>Steve’s eyes narrowed, his grin shifting into a grimace.</p><p>“How unlikely, exactly?”</p><p>“Less than a ten percent chance,” Tony assured, which clearly wasn’t as comforting as Steve had hoped for. “We’ll be able to narrow that down over the next few days as we figure out exactly how the device operated, but it’s solid enough for <em>me</em> to feel good about.”</p><p>The last bit was said a bit pointedly, doubtlessly to remind Steve that he wasn’t the only one with an emotional investment here. Steve clearly caught the hint, too, going by his wince.</p><p>“Right. I-“</p><p>“You’re worried. We all are,” Tony waved him off before the apology could even be said. Her godson turned his attention on her, instead. “So, should I call up the cousins? Get a little Carter family reunion going? I mean, I obviously call Sharon and your kids to let them know we’d gotten you back and you weren’t injured, but I didn’t mention…”</p><p>He waved a hand to indicate her current state.</p><p>“Probably best that you didn’t,” she told him, just to make sure her approval of his actions were clear. “Without knowing what would happen, there was no reason to get anyone’s hopes up.”</p><p>She took a deep, fortifying breath and nodded.</p><p>“Alright, yes. I think that would be a good idea, Tony. This is news probably best delivered in person. Do you think you could set it up?”</p><p>“I will,” Pepper volunteered. “If Tony does it, they’ll just panic and think something has happened. I’ll say that you’re asking for everyone, that you’d like to see them all after such a shock.”</p><p>Peggy patted her arm affectionately.</p><p>“Thank you, dear. I’d appreciate that.”</p><p>Beside her, she could feel Steve’s attention on her like heat from a flame and she did her best to ignore it. She knew he would take this as affirmation of their second chance, but she just wasn’t sure she was ready for that. Luckily, there were plenty of distractions around the table as the team celebrated – including Natasha declaring it was an occasion worthy of pulling out ‘the good vodka’.</p><p>Watching them all together, how they actually interacted with each other, was even better than hearing the stories that Steve and Tony told her. She had always worried about Tony as he was growing up. Howard had been far from a perfect parent – so much so that Peggy had gotten into screaming matches with him over it more than once – and Maria had tried, but hadn’t seemed to know how to support her son without contradicting her husband. Tony’s genius hadn’t helped either, and his constant acceleration through grade levels had left him marooned from his peers. She had hoped college would help him settle – and it somewhat had if you considered Rhodes – but his life had been thrown off course all over again with the death of his parents. Outside of Rhodes, Pepper, and Happy Hogan, Peggy wasn’t sure he’d ever had a circle of close friends he could really count on.</p><p>And Steve, well, of course she’d worried when she heard he had been recovered from the ice. He’d woken up in an entirely new century, with almost everyone he’d ever known already dead. She certainly hadn’t been in any place to help or comfort him. She’d hardly been able to remember him most of the time. On occasion, when she was aware enough to realize what was happening, she had wondered if it wouldn’t have been easier for him if she had already passed. She knew how important people were to Steve. Losing everyone like that would be devastating to anyone, but him especially. She was just so grateful that they had managed to find a place for themselves with this team.</p><p>A hand on her elbow brought her out of these happy musings as the team moved to the more recreational areas for more celebrating. She knew it was Steve even before she turned to see his bashful look.</p><p>“Could I talk to you for a moment? Alone?”</p><p>She wanted to say no, to run and hide again, but she knew she couldn’t do it. This was Steve, after all. Even if there was no hope of a relationship between them, they would always be friends. She couldn’t hide forever. It was better to face reality than to complicate it with avoidance.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>She caught Tony’s eye before following Steve out of the room, just to make sure he saw her going. If he found her suddenly gone, he might be inclined to panic, and she didn’t want that for him. As it was, his gaze darted between her and Steve with a mix of emotions that the Peggy could well empathize with. It had to be odd for him, too, to think of his godmother being romantic with one of his best friends. Though Peggy did smile at the thought that Tony could plural that word now.</p><p>Steve didn’t lead them to another floor, which Peggy had partly expected, but rather into the gym. It was deserted, of course, and offered them privacy and a neutral location. Both were things that Peggy appreciated. They could still hear Thor’s laughter from the other room, but it was muffled and they could hardly hear any of the others at all.</p><p>“So,” Steve began, though he seemed unsure of how to continue and instead fell silent.</p><p>Peggy’s heart ached and she reached for him, laying a hand on his bicep.</p><p>“Steve, look-“</p><p>“I know I came on too strong earlier,” he cut her off, “and I’m sorry. So much as changed and time has passed and I… I know that. I mean, all of this just got thrown at you. I still remember what it was like when I first woke up and was trying to adjust to everything. It’s not easy. I love you, Peggy, and I’ll <em>always</em> love you, but I don’t want you to feel obligated or pressured. You’ve lived an entire lifetime while I was in the ice, and I need you to know that I respect that.”</p><p>Peggy could feel herself softening at his words.</p><p>“Oh, Steve,” she murmured, eyes misting. “You always know just what to say, don’t you? You’ve always been so good with words.”</p><p>His smile was shaky, but real.</p><p>“Not around you. I always feel like I’m tripping all over myself when you’re involved, always putting my foot in it.”</p><p>“Like with the <em>fondue</em> incident?” she couldn’t help teasing, and Steve groaned. It helped alleviate some of the tension between them, though.</p><p>“I’d ask you to not tell Clint about that, but apparently Howard told Tony at some point and he already spilled the beans.”</p><p>Peggy laughed.</p><p>“I think it was one of Howard’s favorite stories of you and he always enjoyed talking about you. Tony took advantage of that for a while. He’d ask for stories about you to spend time with his father.”</p><p>Steve sighed.</p><p>“I hate how that went. Tony deserved better. But, if it’s all the same to you, I don’t really want to talk about either of them at the moment.”</p><p>He was right, of course. It was time to get back on topic.</p><p>“I don’t know what to tell you, Steve,” she said, though she felt awful doing it. “I love you, too. Of course, I do, but it’s just not that simple.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“Don’t think I don’t want this,” she begged. “Don’t think I don’t want <em>you</em>. I just…”</p><p>She let herself trail off, unable to quite put into words all that was swirling through her mind.</p><p>“You need time,” Steve offered up, ever gracious even in the face of rejection. “I understand.”</p><p>Peggy winced.</p><p>“There’s a lot to consider.”</p><p>Steve gave her another sad, wounded smile and leaned in – slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away if she wanted to – pressing a gentle kiss to her cheekbone. Her eyes fluttered shut at the feeling on his lips against her skin and it took her a long moment before she could open them again. Steve was watching her with steady eyes, the love in them unmistakable.</p><p>“We’ve already waited seventy years for our dance,” he murmured softly. “We can wait a while more if we need to.”</p><p>It was romantic and perfect, but it still left Peggy’s heart aching.</p><p>“And what if I decide I’ll never be ready?” she couldn’t help asking. “What if it’s not just a matter of time?”</p><p>She could tell the words hurt him, but she couldn’t take them back. The question had to be asked. He swallowed roughly before answering.</p><p>“Then that’s okay,” he reassured. “I learned a long time ago that no man could force you to do anything, and I wouldn’t want to if you didn’t.”</p><p>She reached her hands up to frame his face and pulled him down, this time to kiss him on the lips.</p><p>“No matter what, I will <em>always</em> love you, Steve Rogers.”</p><p>His breath caught on a sob, a few tears spilling free and slipping down his cheeks, and she didn’t feel much better. She was barely managing to hold back her own tears.</p><p>“I’ll always love you, too, Peggy,” he swore. “Don’t you ever doubt it.”</p><p>As if she could.</p><p>.</p><p>Pepper proved her efficiency and skill yet again by making all the arrangements for Peggy’s children, grandchildren, and her niece Sharon to arrive at the tower in less than twenty-four hours. It was helped along by their worry, of course. And Sharon was only in Washington, as opposed to Peggy’s two daughters and her son, who all lived in England. Still, she reached out and they answered, piling onto Stark Industries jets and making the trek with hardly any forewarning.</p><p>To say that the reveal of her de-aging came as a shock would be an understatement. Cecilia, her youngest grandchild at just two years old, cried every time Peggy held her. As far as she was concerned, Peggy was a stranger. It hurt, but she did her best to push past it. Clint volunteered to watch the grandchildren – with Natasha’s supervision – while Peggy, Tony, and Bruce sat down with the adults to explain just what had happened. Understandably, there were a lot of questions.</p><p>“But you’re absolutely certain that she won’t revert back?” Maggie, her eldest and Cecilia’s mother, asked Tony, sending her own mother an apologetic look. “It’s just, we want to be prepared.”</p><p>“As certain as we can be,” Tony assured her, “and it’s <em>me</em>, so.” He seemed to think that settled it. Which, to be fair, Tony Stark being involved did lend credence to any scientific statement.</p><p>“I just can’t believe this is our lives,” Eliza said, tone full of wonder. “What are you even going to do now, mum?”</p><p>Peggy couldn’t help but laugh.</p><p>“Honestly, I haven’t figured it out. I’m still trying to get my bearings on the fact that it’s real.”</p><p>John sat back on the sofa, considering this.</p><p>“You have a lot of options, I would think,” he observed.</p><p>“Would you go back to working for SHIELD?” Sharon asked, though Peggy couldn’t quite tell if the possibility of it was dreadful or exciting to the young woman.</p><p>She’d put a lot of effort into building a career for herself that didn’t rely on her relation to her aunt. It was perfectly expected that she might have reservations about Peggy stepping back into a role at SHIELD. Well, she didn’t have to worry. Peggy was already shaking her head.</p><p>“No, I don’t think I could go back there. I wouldn’t want to. I think…” she paused, observing her family around her, before forging ahead. “I think I will concentrate on what <em>I</em> would like to do, rather than what the world needs. At least for a while.”</p><p>Eliza snickered.</p><p>“Sure, mum. You giving up control. That sounds doable.”</p><p>They all laughed at that.</p><p>“You could have a place with the Avengers,” Tony offered, making the ridiculous sound serious in the way that only he could. “If you wanted a job, that was. You’ve more than earned your retirement, of course, and you know I’d never let you worry about money.”</p><p>Peggy scoffed.</p><p>“Me? An Avenger? I think two super spies on your team are more than enough, Ducky.”</p><p>“Maybe not,” he allowed with a crooked smile, “but maybe a liaison role? Right now, it’s mostly just me or Steve dealing with SHIELD and coordinating missions with governments and agencies all over the world. We could use someone to help out, and you <em>do</em> have experience. There’d be no one better qualified.”</p><p>Peggy could see it, actually, which was the craziest thing.</p><p>“Ducky, I have been de-aged for less than <em>two days</em>.”</p><p>“Okay, so not an immediate start. No worries. Do you want to standard two weeks or would next Monday work?”</p><p>He laughed when she swatted at him.</p><p>“Enough teasing,” she scolded, smiling wide. “I’ll think about it. How about that?”</p><p>Tony beamed at her, eyes dancing with mirth. It was a good look on him.</p><p>“I’ll take it.”</p><p>“In the meantime,” she said, “I was thinking it’d been a long time since I was able to play tourist in New York. Perhaps you all would be interested in a bit of a family vacation – to get familiar again.”</p><p>“Now <em>that</em> is a good idea,” John said.</p><p>.</p><p>It only took a few days for Tony and Bruce to reconstruct AIM’s machine and figure out how it worked – thus eliminating the last of the doubts that Peggy might suddenly re-age again. Peggy spent that time seeing the sights of New York with her family, feeling a great sense of accomplishment when Cecilia fell asleep in her arms for the first time. It felt incredible to be able to run around and play with her grandchildren again. If nothing else, that made it all worth it.</p><p>Steve gave her space, too, though he never avoided her. He was around in the mornings and evenings at the tower, smiling and telling joked at the dinner table. He particularly seemed to enjoy the stories Peggy’s children had of her throughout her life. They shared glances, but never for long, and he never said anything. Surprisingly, it was actually Tony who brought it up first – two weeks after AIM had taken her, just a few hours after the last of her family had departed for home.</p><p>“So, uh,” he started, “I’m not really sure how to say this, so I’m just going to blurt it out.”</p><p>Peggy rolled her eyes and cut in before he could ask the question.</p><p>“Do not try and offer me any more benefits to becoming the Avengers’ official liaison, Tony. You should know by now that bribery will get you nowhere.”</p><p>“In my defense, the last time I tried that was when I was eight and I was attempting it with gummi worms. I feel like I should get a pass. That wasn’t what I was gonna talk to you about, though.”</p><p>Peggy arched a brow.</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>Tellingly, he turned to gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city.</p><p>“I can’t help but notice that you and Steve haven’t really been talking much. Is everything okay?”</p><p>Peggy considered deflecting the question. Tony would let her, she knew, but it also made her so, incredibly proud that he would initiate this conversation. He had grown so much, despite how Howard had raised him. Some of that had to do with her, and some of it had to do with Edwin, but Peggy thought that most of it had to do with Tony being a genuinely good person down to his core and having finally found a group of people that he could be himself around.</p><p>“Things are… complicated,” she admitted. “Though I’ll admit I hadn’t expected you to bring it up. Would it make you uncomfortable? If Steve and I started something?”</p><p>Tony snorted.</p><p>“You say that like you didn’t start it back in the 1940s.”</p><p>She sent a mock glare his way but was far too used to his teasing to be truly bothered by it.</p><p>“I’m serious, Tony. That was a long time ago.”</p><p>For all that Tony was known for his la se faire attitude, Peggy knew him to be keenly aware of other people and always sensitive to their needs. It came as no surprise when he sobered immediately and seemed to take a moment to examine her question.</p><p>“I don’t know,” he finally decided on. “I don’t really think so. You and Steve… I mean, I grew up hearing about your love story. I’m pretty sure the two of you and the Jarvises are the reason I believe in love at all. Mom and dad sure didn’t give the best example.” He narrowed his eyes in thought, looking out over the city. “Ever since Steve and I got over our initial differences and became friends, he’s talked about you. It could’ve easily been creepy – given the time span and everything that’d happened – but it wasn’t. He just really, genuinely cares about you.”</p><p>Here, a smile slipped across Tony’s face and he sent Peggy a shrewd look out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>“You know, you’re the reason we started getting along in the first place.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>Tony chuckled.</p><p>“Oh, yeah. Steve and I fought like cats and dogs when we first met. We both had a lot of baggage going in and Loki’s scepter played off of at – so even after its influence was over, there was still a lot of friction. We both tried to extend the olive branch a few times, make peace, but it was also always at a terrible time for the other one. Then one day Steve heard Pepper and me talking about my Aunt Peggy and… well, the rest is history, I guess.”</p><p>There was a warm, full feeling in Peggy’s chest, and she crossed the space between them to pull Tony into a hug.</p><p>“I love you, Ducky,” she told him quietly, tenderly. “I so do.”</p><p>He buried his nose in her hair as he held her tightly.</p><p>“I love you, too. And so does Steve. The two of you missed your change before. Don’t miss it again this time. I know a thing or two about missed opportunities, so take it from me when I say you’ll regret it. You’ve already made your decision, why delay it?”</p><p>Peggy let her head rest on his shoulder as she chuckled.</p><p>“When did you get so smart, Ducky?”</p><p>She didn’t have to look to know he was grinning.</p><p>“Genius,” he pointed out smugly. “And I was raised by some of the wisest people in the world. At least some of that had to rub off eventually, right?”</p><p>This time, she laughed.</p><p>“I don’t care how tall you get, you’re still a brat.”</p><p>He hummed, not bothered in the slightest, and they stood in silence, still embracing, just enjoying the closeness.</p><p>“Ducky?” she finally spoke up, eyes closed and relaxed in the arms of family.</p><p>“Yeah, Aunt Pegs?”</p><p>“I’ll take that job you offered me. I think I’m bored with retirement.”</p><p>.</p><p>Peggy chose her outfit carefully, coordinating with JARVIS to have a pair of proper pantyhose delivered along with the hair products she needed. She took her time, letting the process act as a sort of meditation – like a knight methodically checking over his weapons and chainmail before battle. She curled her hair into voluminous, bouncing curls – each one perfectly formed. She meticulously applied her makeup, taking the time to make sure every tiny detail was exactly as it should be.</p><p>After donning her pantyhose, dress, and heels, she stood in front of the floor-length mirror in her suite – examining her appearance just as she had that first day. She looked wonderful, with her victory curls and tailored clothing. Objectively, she knew that, but she couldn’t help looking for the smallest flaws. Her heart beat heavily in her chest with a strange mixture of trepidation and anticipation.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. There really wasn’t anything to worry about, if she were being honest. Steve had already made his interest known, both all those years ago and just a few scant days. It wasn’t as if she was going into an unknown situation. There was no need to worry or fret. And yet…</p><p>She had become complacent, Peggy decided, as she had grown older. She’d stopped feeling to need to jump into every fight that came her way and let others carry some of her burdens. Without even realizing it, she’d gotten used to not <em>needing</em> to be brave. Or maybe it was just that none of the risks she’d taken or the battles she’d fought in the past mattered as much as what she intended to do now. Maybe this was just more important.</p><p>But Tony was right. She could put this off for another lifetime of she wanted. She could play it safe and not rock the boat. She could content herself with friendship and not risk disrupting that by aiming for more. But she would always regret it if she did.</p><p>She gave her reflection a sharp nod, like a commanding officer confirming an order. It was time to go to battle.</p><p>.</p><p>Steve was in the communal kitchen – not surprising, considering his enhanced appetite – chatting with Clint while they both snacked off a towering pile of sandwiches. He was laughing at whatever story Clint was telling when Peggy spotted them, and she hung back for just a moment to enjoy the view. His eyes sparkled, his entire face lighting up with mirth. His shoulders were relaxed, too, so unlike his posture back during the war or while he sat at his bedside.</p><p>It occurred to Peggy that she had only ever really known Steve during stressful situations. Yes, even back during the war there had been moments of laughter and joking around. Dum Dum and Barnes, in particular, were well-adept at using humor to alleviate tension. It had always been a coping mechanism, though. It was always a way of not losing their minds in the face of such a horrifying reality. And when she’d been in the nursing home, there had always been the looming certainty of her demise and the lurking spirit of what might have been if their pasts had gone differently.</p><p>What Peggy was seeing now was joy for joy’s sake and she was amazed by how much it changed Steve. He’d always been a source of brightness for those around him, but now he truly seemed light – no longer weighed down by such high stakes. His life wasn’t without care, of course. He was a superhero; his life would never be completely free of stress and grief, but he was at peace. Peggy had to blink away tears at the thought so as not to risk her eyeliner.</p><p>Steve deserved to have peace in his life. They all did, really. All of these Avengers who gave so much of themselves for the world – they deserved to be happy. She wanted to help make that happen. And now she would be able to. As the liaison between the Avengers and the rest of the world’s governments and agencies, she would be in the position to ensure their happiness and safety. At least outside of battle.</p><p>She wore a smile as she stepped the rest of the way into the kitchen.</p><p>“Hello, boys. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”</p><p>The way Steve’s expression lit up upon seeing her said it wouldn’t matter if she did.</p><p>“Everyone home safe and sound?” he asked politely. “The time zones always get me, but they should have landed by now, right?”</p><p>“JARVIS let me know they’d arrived without incident about an hour ago,” she confirmed. “Cecelia was a bit whiny through the trip, but she handled it better than on the way over.”</p><p>Steve nodded.</p><p>“That’s good. I’m sure it must be hard to travel such a long distance when you’re that young. Sandwich?”</p><p>He gestured at the platter, but Peggy shook her head.</p><p>“Not right now but thank you. I was actually hoping I could have a word with you, Captain Rogers.”</p><p>Steve and Clint immediately exchanged a glance and Clint hopped off the counter where he’d been sitting – grabbing a few more sandwiches on the way and piling them up in his arm.</p><p>“I’ll give you two the room,” he offered, before heading out the door.</p><p>Peggy watched him go, only partly to make sure he didn’t hang back to listen, before turning to Steve again. His carefreeness was gone, shoulders tight and expression pinched.</p><p>“’Captain Rogers’,” he repeated grimly. “Why do I feel like I’m in trouble?”</p><p>The attempted joke fell flat, though, and she could see that he was bracing for a blow – waiting for her to tell him that she needed space and had decided it was best for them to put some distance between them.</p><p>“I thought it would be best to keep it professional when dealing with Avengers business,” she said, to put him out of his misery. “I’ve decided to accept Tony’s offer to become the team’s liaison. I thought, as their leader, you should probably be informed, and I know my godson well enough to know he’ll only think to tell you when it becomes pertinent or shocking.”</p><p>Tension easing again, Steve gave a bark of laughter.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure he does it on purpose,” he accused, though there was no animosity in his words.</p><p>Peggy’s smile grew.</p><p>“You’re not wrong. That boy will do anything to cover up a good dead – including making sure to announce it at the worst time possible.”</p><p>“Too late, the cat’s out of the bag. We all know what a great guy Tony is. One of these days, he’s just going to have to learn to live with it,” Steve said, before sobering and sticking out a hand. “It’ll be a pleasure to work with you again. Welcome to the team, Agent Carter. Or Director? I’ll admit, I’m not really sure which title to go with anymore. You were awarded a knighthood at one point, right? Dame Carter?”</p><p>Peggy laughed as she shook his hand, his palm large and arm against hers. It was almost a shame to let go of it again.</p><p>“We can figure the title out later,” she assured him. “Though I’m sure Sharon would be quite annoyed with me if I started going by ‘Agent Carter’ again.”</p><p>“She’s incredible,” Steve praised immediately. “We’ve worked with her a few times on join operations with SHIELD. I didn’t make the family connection at first, I’ll admit, but I was impressed with her right out of the gate. She knows what she’s doing.”</p><p>And it would be so easy to follow the opening, to talk about Sharon and how she’d grown up – maybe even share the story of how she’d made a four-year-old Tony cry the first time they’d met and how the two had only made up because Sharon and offered to let him play with her Captain America action figure. It would be too easy. Life was made up of moments, but Peggy knew that they were more than just opportunities that had to be waited for and taken advantage of. Moments had to be seized with both hands and made. She wasn’t going to let this one slip through her fingers.</p><p>“Steve,” she said softly, stepping forward.</p><p>He came to attention instantly, sensing the shift in conversation. Once again, she could see the hope rising in his gaze. She hoped she didn’t disappoint him.</p><p>“I don’t know what the future holds,” she began, “but I’ve come to some realizations while looking at my past. I think back on our time during the war, everything that we went through and everything we could have been. We were heading toward something, but we never had enough time to get there. I was devastated when you put that plane in the water. All I could think about, at first, was what could have been if we’d had that dance.”</p><p>Now, Steve’s expression was pained, and Peggy couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t either of their favorite topics, she knew.</p><p>“Steve, what if- What if that <em>wasn’t</em> our moment, though?”</p><p>She may as well have slapped him, with the way he jerked back.</p><p>“Peggy-“</p><p>“No, Steve, let me finish, please.”</p><p>A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he gave her a jerky nod to go on.</p><p>“We don’t know what might have happened if things had gone differently,” she told him gently, “and I will never regret having had the opportunity to have my children – to have watched them grow into the incredible people they are. I was able to be there for Tony and Sharon when they needed me, and I was able to do so much good for the world. Even with how much I loved you and how keenly I missed you, I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything, Steve. So, what I’m saying is, what is that wasn’t our moment? What if <em>this</em> is?”</p><p>There was a moment of shocked silence and she seemed to be trying to absorb her words, clearly thrown by the sudden shift in tone.</p><p>“Are you saying-?”</p><p>Peggy couldn’t help grinning at him. For such an amazing strategist, Steve really could be so thick at times.”</p><p>“Yes, Steve. I’m ready. I love you and I want to give <em>us</em> a chance.”</p><p>The noise he made was strangled and desperate as he surged forward, wrapping her up in his arms and lifting her off the ground in his excitement. Their lips met in a kiss that’d waited decades, all sharp edges of grief and desire. It was amazing, though, and Peggy clung to Steve just as tightly as he was clinging to her. Her hands framed his face as they kissed again and again. She didn’t even mind that he was wrinkling her dress.</p><p>“Oh, God, Peggy,” Steve gasped when their lips finally parted, though he made no move to release her. His voice and cheeks were damp tears. “Thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance. I love you so much.”</p><p>She shushed him with another kiss, smiling as she did because she knew that there would be more to come – an endless supply.</p><p>“I love you, too,” she promised. “I’ve loved you for over seventy years, Steven Grant Rogers, and I plan to love you for at least another seventy.”</p><p>His laugh was bright and bold.</p><p>“I like the sound of that. I like the sound of that a lot.”</p><p>.</p><p>Peggy Carter wasn’t the kind of woman who asked for things. She demanded them and fought for them and got them herself, but she didn’t ask for them. She was a realist who took the world at face value. Even when she shot for impossible goals, they were ones that she knew were within reaching distance of only you had the right leverage. She was a woman who loved passionately and didn’t pull punches. She was strong and she didn’t compromise on the things that mattered most.</p><p>She’d never asked for a second chance and life – had certainly never expected one – but she was glad to have gotten it anyway.</p><p>She was frighteningly efficient as the Avengers’ official liaison and protected the team in every way that she could. She spent time with her children and grandchildren, reveling in being able to help them and be there for them again. She watched her godson and niece thrive, impossibly proud of the people they had become. Hell, by a crazy series of circumstances, she’d even helped find and rehabilitate the Winter Soldier. They’d all been surprised to find out the Bucky Barnes had survived the fall from that train, much less that he’d wound up a captive of Hydra and turned into a super soldier in his own right.</p><p>Yes, she had lost a lot of the years – friends and coworkers and a husband who she loved – but life had a way of always going on.</p><p>Things were not always smooth with Steve – they were both far too stubborn and fierce for that – but they were always worth it. The years of separation and the odds that’d been stacked against them made it easier to work through their differences, too. After all, if they could overcome decades of time, age, and one of them being presumed dead, everything else seemed to pale in comparison. Neither of them was willing to waste any more time.</p><p>A year after Peggy had been kidnapped, a year after she’d been de-aged and given a second chance, Peggy decided that there <em>was</em> something that she wanted to ask for. As with any mission, it required careful planning and accomplished agents to make sure everything went off without a hitch. There were specific items to be acquired and arrangements to be made, but she was a master of managing high-stakes operations.</p><p>So, after a pleasant dinner at a small restaurant in Brooklyn that’d been around since Steve and Bucky had grown up there and a late-night stroll in Central Park, Peggy led Steve to a gazebo that was already lit with a million tiny faerie lights, all twinkling, and pulled a small, velvet-covered box from her clutch.</p><p>And then she asked Steve Rogers to marry her.</p><p>He said yes, of course, hadn’t stopped grinning for a moment – even when they got back to the tower and the whole team was waiting with congratulations and teasing. There was champagne and confetti and Peggy just felt so <em>warm</em>. She sipped from her glass as she watched Steve show the right to Bucky and Clint. Second chances were rare, she thought, and she was glad she hadn’t wasted hers.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've had such a fun time writing from Peggy's point of view! Feel free to tell me what you think in the comments below!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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